FIRST ON THE BLOG: I haven’t checked on the Twin Tiers market since this blog was started in August of 2014. Since then though, big changes have been made across all the stations that air news in this market, otherwise known as the Southwestern area of the New York State.

First off, the market’s #1 long-time leader: WETM 18. WETM 18 has recently launched and now airs a half-hour local newscast at 5:30 p.m. on weeknights, creating the area’s first-ever 90-minute local news block from 5:00-6:30 p.m. The new newscast is simulcast on their independent station WETM-DT 18.2, otherwise known as WETM 2, which simulcasts all their weekday newscasts from the main channel, with the exception of the 11:00 p.m. weeknight newscast. This now competes against WENY 36’s WENY News at 5:30 on WENY CBS for local news in that timeslot in that market.

Secondly, the other news operation in the market: WENY 36. That station airs ABC on 36.1, CBS on 36.2 and CW on 36.3. And recently, WENY 36 has expanded their noon newscast from what was a 5-minute news update to now a 30-minute newscast. The newscast, otherwise known as WENY News at Noon, has been dropped by WENY 36.1 and is now only shown on WENY 36.2. This one competes against long-time leader WETM 18 News at Noon for local news in that timeslot in that market.

And finally, what is possibly THE smallest news operation in the market, but still providing local news: WYDC 48. The station has recently moved its morning newscast, known as the Twin Tiers Morning Update, a half-hour earlier, but remains as a 2-hour morning newscast. The newscast is now on from 6:00-8:00 a.m. and still remains as the ONLY local newscast on at 7:00 a.m. in the market. Other than that, the station also produces a 10-minute news update, weeknights at 10:00 p.m. that competes against WETM 18’s WETM 18 News at 10:00 on WETM 2.

And now, hopefully, you’re caught up-to-date in the Twin Tiers television market. Enjoy, if you live there.